See How She Falls (The Chronicles of Izzy #3)(6)

I did as he asked. I stood rooted to the ground, my attention rapt as the scene played out before my eyes. Aberto stood talking to several men that appeared to be similar in age. Scanning the group, I counted seven, all listening intently to the words coming from Aberto.

“We must not interfere, that is the role of the Seers. If they have not given us the direction, we cannot move," Aberto declared. His voice resounded throughout the group, carrying with it a confidence that would not be refuted.

“If we do nothing, they will die. We were given the vision Aberto, are we not meant to use it?” A man asked, timidly questioning Aberto’s guidance.

“If the gods wanted us to act, do you not believe they would have given us a firm resolve? Yet, here we stand, unable to decide. The gods would have guided us firmly had this been their purpose.” Aberto seemed determined to sway the men away from action.

“It’s as he says. Aberto’s wisdom has guided us without fault thus far, we should put our faith in him that he will not lead us astray.” With that the men all seemed to come to some sort of agreement. All but the one that had questioned him earlier. He seemed to doubt the wisdom in Aberto’s words.

“I don’t understand, you were just doing what you thought was right.” I turned toward my Aberto, trying to make sense of what I had seen.

“No, I was doing what was easy. I was so confident that the gods would lay everything right at my feet. My arrogance and naivety led me to believe all of the answers would be easy. Yet, the gods had given me everything I needed to fulfill my calling. They had shown all of us the truth, and instead of trusting the gods, they put their faith in me. I led us all to destruction.”

“But what happened? Are all seven of you still alive? What does it mean that this was the beginning of your fall?”

“This wasn’t the only time I made such a foolish decision. The men looked to me for guidance and I led them astray more times than I can count. In my belief that I knew exactly what my purpose was, I misdirected the men who trusted me. Now, we are all cursed.”

“Aberto, you’re still talking in riddles. I’m not closer to understanding any of this than I was before.”

“We should return, your Guardian may grow worried," Aberto said, taking my hand in his and pulling us back from the vision.

“Oh, you are so not out of the doghouse, mister. I want answers. Not riddles. Answers.” I was doing my best not to toss my cookies all over the office rug.

“It is not an easy thing for me to tell, Izzy. It has been thousands of years since these events took place. The memories have been somewhat dissolved. I will do my best to explain everything.”

“Okay, so this is what I understand so far. You and these seven dudes were Guardians and you screwed up?” I wasn’t even sure they were Guardians to be honest.

“No, we were more than Guardians. We were the original Guardians. The first of our kind. We were sent from the heavens as ambassadors to protect this world from the darkness that prowls just outside of this realm. We were sent with seven Seers to help one another balance the outcome of the world. We were thrown into this world like some sort of divine experiment.” Aberto gritted his teeth together in anger. “The Seers went mad before failing completely. The gods had not predicted the overwhelming affect the visions, combined with other abilities, might have on a human brain. Ultimately, through years of experimentation, the gods formed a group of Seers that could resist the madness and fulfill their duty. That is a story for another time. I told you, the memories get a bit muddled. When the Seers fell, the seven of us were asked to fulfill their duties as well. We failed.”

“How so?”

“We were unable to see clearly what the Seers might see. In my arrogance, I thought I understood what the gods were saying and acted as though I had all of the answers. Sadly, I was mistaken. I led my brothers straight to their destruction. We failed more times than I can count to protect innocents from events that were never meant to be. Finally, the gods grew angry with us. With me. They cursed us to roam this realm until we pay penance for our misdeeds. I am cursed to wander here until the gods feel I have restored the balance.”

“But what is the curse? Is it that you can never die? Am I going to be immortal now?” I started to hyperventilate. I’d thought three hundred years was a long time. It was nothing compared to an eternity.

“The curse is simple. We are to guide Seers and Guardians. We must help them to fulfill their purpose, yet we are never to interfere. We must guide others to maintain the balance that we so miserably failed to control. So we walk between planes, never truly belonging to either. We spend years in the fog sometimes, not even realizing the time has passed. I have lost track of most of my brothers. I know not if they have passed on; if they have been able to fulfill their calling and restore balance enough to garner the gods’ forgiveness. I can only speak for myself. I was lost in my own misery, lost in the fog for centuries. You changed everything.”

“And then you changed me.” I sat heavily in the chair, unsure if I wanted to hear more.

“Yes, and then I changed you. I changed you, and I may very well have cursed you to an existence like my own. You may wish me to regret my choice to save you, to interfere when I was not meant to. I saw your future; you weren’t supposed to die that day, Izzy. I will not now, nor shall I ever, regret the choices that I’ve made where you are concerned.” Aberto’s gaze rested on my face as though he expected some sort of thanks for what he had done.